ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. degree — temperature
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. band — a ring
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. perch — the fish
  11. band — a music group
  12. degree — an amount
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. last — to go on
  15. degree — from a university
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. last — final
  19. last — finally
  20. foot — a measure
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. present — there
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. foot — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com